Psalm discussion

I wanted to thank all of you for opening up and thinking outside the box with the discussion we had about psalms. I want to post a great article off the Bible.org web page. It is an article written by Ted Phillips.

The Book of Psalms, is one of the greatest collections of songs, prayers, and poetry. These Psalms express the deepest passions of humanity. In their pages, we can hear the psalmist's desperate cry, in the midst of despair. But, we also hear his emphatic praise, for his Provider, and Comforter. We can hear him pouring out his soul in confession, but, also, bubbling over with joy! The Psalms lead us through the valleys and peaks, of human experiences; but, in the end, they guide us to the praise of our loving Creator.

The Psalms are broken down into different categories. Many Psalms can be categorized by their themes. For example, the "Royal" Psalms emphasize "God, as King," through the use of the phrase, "the Lord reigns." These Psalms speak of His rule as Creator, Savior of Israel, and as "the coming One."
The "Zion" Psalms, focus on Jerusalem, using its endearing name, "Zion." These Psalms rhapsodize on the city, as God's choice for the site of the Holy Temple, the place for true worship of His name.
The "Penitential" Psalms, are those in which the psalmist confesses sin to the Lord, asks for forgiveness, and then praises the Lord for the renewed relationship, which God's forgiveness provides, e.g., Psalm 51.
The "Wisdom" Psalms, focus on some of the same issues, which we find in the Book of Proverbs. These Psalms present a sharp contrast, between the righteous and the wicked. They address God's blessings and cursings, and often focus on righteous living.
A subcategory of the "Wisdom" Psalms, are the "Torah" Psalms, or poems, which focus on the beauty, truth, and sufficiency of the law of God.
Some of the most troubling Psalms, are those that contain prayers asking God to curse the wicked. These are called the "Imprecatory" Psalms. These Psalms are sometimes thought to conflict with the sentiment of the Gospels, but they actually reflect God's abhorrence of evil.
In contrast, are the joyful, and prophetic "Passover" Psalms, Psalms 113-118. These are the Psalms that were sung at the beginning of the Passover, and were called the "Egyptian Hallel." Psalms 113-115 were sung at the temple, during the slaying of the animals. Psalms 116-117, were sung during the meal, and at the end, Psalm 118. These Psalms are a remarkable celebration of the great acts of the Lord, in delivering His people from Egypt. They point forward to the deliverance that would come through the Savior, Jesus.
A final group of Psalms, is clustered at the end of the book, and are called the "Hallel" Psalms. These Psalms focused on the exodus from Egypt. They praise God for His character, and for His saving work.
The last category, is the "Lament" Psalms.

Ted seems to have a good grasp I would say.
The Laments are the ones that most folks have problems saying in Church. This is because for the most part the psalmist is asking for revenge and for most this sounds contrary to Christ's word. Even Martin Luther had problems with these and had asked their removal from canon for that reason.
Bill <><